Getty Anthony Davis of the LA Lakers coaches teammate Talen Horton-Tucker during a game against the Sacramento Kings.
Not everything has gone according to plan so far for the new-look Los Angeles Lakers, who are playing .500 ball in the early campaign. However, there have nonetheless been a handful of bright spots and Talen Horton-Tucker’s post-injury explosion probably tops that list.
Since making his return from thumb surgery on November 14, Horton-Tucker has arguably been the Lakers’ best player. His net rating of 3.9 over that span ranks second on the team to Wayne Ellington and his basic stat line has been even more impressive.
To date, the 20-year-old is averaging 23.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He’s also shooting an impressive 49% from the field and 40% from three-point range.
For his part, Lakers star Anthony Davis has been impressed by the effort. And he is imploring Horton-Tucker to keep it up.
“No matter his role, whether he starts or comes off the bench, we need his energy the way he’s been playing; he has to keep that,” Davis said, via Lakers Nation. “Keep that same mindset when he comes in and he’s shooting the ball well, he’s making the right reads, he’s doing great things for us defensively.”
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While Horton-Tucker has been sensational in extended minutes this season, his spot in the Lakers’ pecking order will likely change once the team gets fully healthy. It is Davis’ hope, though, that Horton-Tucker be similarly impactful regardless of where he gets slotted.
And he’s calling on his teammates to help make it happen.
“[We] don’t want that to kind of slow down or kind of fade away when we get guys back, or his role changes,” Davis said. “So we’ve got to make sure that we stay on him to continue to be locked in.”
The eight-time NBA All-Star noted that Horton-Tucker has contributed in a variety of ways. Specifically, he’s been something of a floor general for Los Angeles, which has had some bumps and bruises in the backcourt, in addition to LeBron James being out with an abdominal strain.
“He’s been helping us big time at the point guard position, attacking the gaps, getting downhill, finishing, making the reads, and kicking it out to our shooters. Defensively, poking at the ball.”
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More to Come?
As well as Horton-Tucker has played, there may yet be another level of production that he can hit, even if he does cede some minutes. Davis made a point to mention that the third-year guard has only been back on the court for a short while and that he’s still finding his feet.
“He’s been big, he’s been big for us and I think this is only his second game back or third game,” he said. “So he’s doing all this and he’s still getting in game shape and getting in rhythm. So he’s going to be good for us.”
Horton-Tucker, Davis and the Lakers will be back in action on Friday night against the Boston Celtics.
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